Tableau Connector for Okta

Build 25.0.9434

Configuring a Connection

After Installing the Connector you can connect and create a Data Source for data in Okta.

Setting Up a Data Source

Complete the following steps to connect to the data:

  1. Under Connect | To a Server, click More....
  2. Select the data source called Okta by CData.
  3. Enter the information required for the connection.
  4. Click Sign In.
  5. If necessary, select a Database and Schema to discover what tables and views are available.

Using the Connection Builder

The connector makes the most common connection properties available directly in Tableau. However, it can be difficult to use if you need to use more advanced settings or need to troubleshoot connection issues. The connector includes a separate connection builder that allows you to create and test connections outside of Tableau.

There are two ways to access the connection builder:

  • On Windows, use a shortcut called Connection Builder in the Start menu, under the CData Tableau Connector for Okta folder.
  • You can also start the connection builder by going to the driver install directory and running the .jar file in the lib directory.

In the connection builder, you can set values for connection properties and click Test Connection to validate that they work. You can also use the Copy to Clipboard button to save the connection string. This connection string can be given to the Connection String option included in the connector connection window in Tableau.

Connecting to Okta

To connect to Okta, set this parameter:

Authenticating to Okta

Okta supports OAuth and OAuthJWT authentication.

For a complete list of connection string properties available in Okta, see Connection.

OAuth

To authenticate with OAuth, AuthScheme must be set to OAuth. You must also create a custom OAuth application, as described in Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

Desktop Applications

To connect via a desktop application, you must set and refresh the OAuth access token.

Get and Refresh the OAuth Access Token

After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. Used to automatically get and refresh the OAuthAccessToken.
  • OAuthClientId: The Key displayed when you created your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The Secret displayed when you created your custom OAuth application.
  • CallbackURL: The Callback URL defined when you registered your application. By default, this is set to http://localhost:33333.

When you connect, the connector opens Okta's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

After you grant permissions to the application the connector then completes the OAuth process:

  1. The connector obtains an access token from Okta and uses it to request data.
  2. The OAuth values are saved in the path specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

When the access token expires, the connector refreshes it automatically.

Automatic Refresh of the OAuth Access Token

To have the connector automatically refresh the OAuth access token:

  1. Before connecting to data for the first time, set these connection parameters:

  2. On subsequent data connections, set:

Manual refresh of the OAuth access token:

The only value needed to manually refresh the OAuth access token is the OAuth refresh token.

  1. To manually refresh the OAuthAccessToken after the ExpiresIn period (returned by GetOAuthAccessToken) has elapsed, call the RefreshOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.
  2. Set these connection properties:

    • OAuthClientId: The Client Id in your custom OAuth application settings.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The Client Secret in your custom OAuth application settings.

  3. Call RefreshOAuthAccessToken with OAuthRefreshToken set to the OAuth refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
  4. After the new tokens have been retrieved, set the OAuthAccessToken property to the value returned by RefreshOAuthAccessToken. This opens a new connection.

Store the OAuth refresh token so that you can use it to manually refresh the OAuth access token after it has expired.

Headless Machines

To configure the driver to use OAuth with a user account on a headless machine, you need to authenticate on another device that has an internet browser.

Note: Depending on whether AuthScheme is set to code or client, authentication is performed with either an authorization code or a client credentials grant type.

You can do this in either of the following ways:

  • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value.
  • Option 2: Install the connector on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow.

After you execute either Option 1 or Option 2, configure the connector to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL as follows:

  1. Authenticate from the machine with an internet browser and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

    Set these properties:

  2. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. The stored procedure returns the CallbackURL established when the custom OAuth application was registered. (See Creating a Custom OAuth Application.)

    Copy this URL and paste it into a new browser tab.

  3. Log in and grant permissions to the connector. The OAuth application redirects you the redirect URI, with a parameter called code appended. Note the value of this parameter; you will need it later, to configure the OAuthVerifier connection property.

  4. Exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens.

    On the headless machine, to obtain the OAuth authentication values, set these properties:

  5. Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file.

  6. You are ready to connect after you re-set these properties:

    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthClientId: The Key displayed when you created your custom OAuth application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The Secret displayed when you created your custom OAuth application.
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: The location containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. To enable the automatic refreshing of the access token, be sure that this file gives read and write permissions to the connector.

Option 2: Transfer OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you must install and create a connection with the driver on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described above in "Desktop Applications".

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the path specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

To connect to data via the headless machine, set these connection properties:

  • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
  • OAuthClientId: The Secret displayed when you created your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: The location of the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. To enable automatic refreshing of the access token, ensure that this file gives read and write permissions to the connector.

OAuth JWT

To authenticate with OAuth JWT, AuthScheme must be set to OAuthJWT. You must also create a custom OAuth application, as described in Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

Next Step

See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.

Copyright (c) 2025 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 25.0.9434